Filed under: Design, etc, News & Trends
At the 50th anniversary of the furniture industry's most design-forward festival, our correspondent spots a return to (very) conspicuous consumption. Fur, marble and gold...oh my!
Clockwise from left: Kartin Armchair in Mongolian sheep fur cover/steel by Carlo Columbo for Arflex; Work 70 table and desk chair in alnut/plated gold by Hans Wegner for Carl Hansen & Sons. Jason Rosha.
Never been to "I Salone del Mobile"? Get ready to get jealous. It's an enormous and highly anticipated event in the furniture industry, where global manufacturers present and display the newest additions to their collections. Think of it as a time where the designers and manufacturing heavies -- who are revered as geniuses in the design world -- get to show off everything that the rest of the world will covet in the next five years.
While 2011 was a monumental year for the fair's history, the presenters certainly had the future in mind. And from the looks of it, were laser focused on gaining back a high-end audience post-recession. How to get the job done? Up the glam factor with super luxurious materials. Marble and furs were abundant among multiple presenters, a marked turn from the recent years' fairs, where the focus was on understated minimalism.
The SImplice Pathos table in marble/bronzed steel and Febo dining chair by Antonio Citterio for Maxalto. Photo: Jason Rosha
We've all been in eager anticipation to see how the furniture industry would rebound from the global economic crisis. And if you use Salone as an indicator of things to come -- a sort of groundhog for the industry -- things are looking up. We saw a real emphasis on value, specifically with highly textured, highly sophisticated materials. The kind that you know are expensive just by running your fingers over them. The B&B Italia/Maxalto brands added a variety of stunning Italian marbles to its arsenal of tabletop materials and the smooth marble also popped up again in presentations by design-forward companies Henge, Minotti and Draenert. Another common theme -- Mongolian Sheep. Maxalto's Kalos chair was only one of the classic pieces that was released in fur and shearling this year, giving the items a playful, organic look.
And perhaps epitomizing this movement towards unashamed luxury was Carl Hansen & Sonʼs relaunch of a 1970 design by Hans Wegner in saddle leather and limited edition 24-karat gold plating. How's that for conspicuous consumption?
Left: The Kalos armchair and Simplice Pathos side table in marble/steel. Right: The Kalos in suede/shearling. All by Antonio Citterio for Maxalto. Photos: Jason Rosha
Clockwise from left: Marenco armchair by Mario Marenco for Arflex; painted books in the Porro booth; Modern cabinets by Piero Lissoni for Porro. Photos: Jason Rosha
Redondo armchairs by Patricia Urquiola for Moroso. Photo: Jason Rosha
Floar shelves by Patrick Norguet for Glas Italia. Photo: Jason Rosha
Seeing all these hyper high end wares gave us a rosy outlook on American retail for the rest of 2011 and 2012. While we doubt we'll see 24-karat plated furniture in the aisles of mass retailers, the sentiment will surely be carried out through year, as retailers interpret the luxury trend to fit with their individual brands. We can't wait to see how they do it.
Curious about what else is coming up in the home world? DIY Life has the scoop on the just-finished Kitchen & Bath Industry show. See what happened at KBIS 2011!
By Jason Rosha